Best Way to Connect Computer to TV

Check the ports on your PC

Not every PC is the same, and first thing that needs to be done is to identify which kind of video output port is featured on the PC. There is more than one type of video output on almost every PC, and while some might be outdated, there are still ways to connect it to a TV, even if the output on the computer, and the input on the TV don’t match. If the PC in question is bought sometime during past few years, there is a good chance that it will feature one of the following ports: VGA, DVI, or HDMI. More than one of the aforementioned ports can be present, allowing the devices to be connected in different ways.

HDMI Works Best for Connections to TV

Using your computers HDMI port is by far the best way to connect your PC to your TV, because an HDMI port will send both video and sound to the TV, and has automatic detection capabilities. Most TV’s today feature HDMI port only (often several of them at a time), and while most PC’s feature the same ports, some which may be outdated are equipped with VGA, or DVI ports only. In that case, the two can be connected by using VGA-to-HDMI cable, or DVI-to-HDMI cable. These cables come in various combinations and serve as converters, allowing a hassle-free way of connecting multiple devices. However, audio might need to be connected separately, as it can happen that the audio cannot be transferred properly with said connections. In case that happens, a simple solution is to use an aux cable by plugging one side into the audio port on the computer, while plugging the other side into the audio port on the TV. Both said ports are marked with a small headphone image located usually above, or below the port. The best & most affordable place to buy HDMI cables is on Amazon.

These are the most effective (and best priced) HDMI cables:

Advanced PC to TV Connection Methods

There are more advanced ways of connecting the devices today, but there are some restrictions. Chromecast allows the user to “cast” content from the computer directly to the TV, but not everything is “castable.” The device is plugged into the HDMI port on the TV, after which it needs to connect to local Wi-Fi network. It is an easy task to do if one follows the instructions which are provided with the device. A thing to note is that Chromecast requires its own power source, so be sure to connect it to an outlet. It is a great way to stream video content directly from the Internet (provided that the Google Chrome web-browser is used), use Netflix, HBO GO, and many other services that are available on Chromecast. A great thing is that the user can stream local video that is stored on the computer directly to the TV by typing a path to the video in their browser.